Described embodiments relate generally to the field of holders for fasteners, and more particularly to holders for fasteners, such as lag screws, while being driven into a work piece.
Linemen working on electric power distribution systems often have to drive fasteners, such as lag screws, into wooden poles. Often multiple screws have to be driven for a job. In known methods, the lineman holds the lag screw and strikes it with hammer to set it into the pole. A driver or wrench may then be used to engage the fastener driving surfaces to screw it into the pole. There is potential for a hand injury every time one holds a lag screw and hits it with a hammer to drive it into a pole. Moreover, this task may be required while the lineman is up on the pole, or on a lift platform, in awkward or precarious positions, or in wet or extreme weather conditions, all that adversely affect manual dexterity and make handling and driving of the fasteners more difficult and injury more likely.
Some known holders for a fastener can hold only a single fastener (or a single fastener per opening/slot) at a time. US patent application publication 2006/0101948 to Meitzler magnetically holds a single fastener at a time. Additionally, GB 2 347 105 to Motley; U.S. Pat. No. 4,018,334 to Lejdegard; U.S. Pat. No. 4,079,764 to Hayes; U.S. Pat. No. 4,422,489 to Ross; U.S. Pat. No. 5,671,641 to Stephenson, Jr.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,933,894 to Bates; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,007 to Righini hold more than one fastener, but the holders include several openings, slots or holding locations, each of which holds a single fastener at a time.
Other known devices hold multiple staples. U.S. Pat. No. D530,177 to Alverson, Jr. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,056 to Miller hold multiple staples for insertion into a work piece, but each staple is held individually in a separate slot.
Some known devices hold fasteners with a lever-based or pliers-type feature, see U.S. Pat. No. 4,079,765 to Hatayan; U.S. Pat. No. 5,370,020 to Fifield et al.; US patent application publication 2004/0040417 to Davidson; US patent application publication 2005/0166713 to Lloyd; and US patent application publication 2013/0118314 to Eifes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,733,085 to Shida et al. holds multiple nails together in position by adhesive. U.S. Pat. No. 874,614 to McColm supports several nails by their heads at the same time in slots. However, the holder of the '614 patent relies on gravity to hold the nails and thus is used in the horizontal position and not for vertical surfaces like wooden poles.
Accordingly, there is a desire for devices and methods that provide a tool that holds fasteners so that they may be safely and efficiently driven into a work piece.